Half of cities have fiber-optic infrastructure

By FCW Staff

Dec 13, 1999

Half of U.S. cities responding to a recent survey have a fiber-optic infrastructure ready to meet the demands of high-tech industry.

The telecommunications study conducted this year and released last week by the International City/County Management Association and Public Technology Inc., includes comments from 2,860 cities. The groups mailed surveys to 7,500 cities with populations greater than 2,500.

The survey also found that:

39 percent of cities say their local cable systems provide telephone services over their cable networks.

More than 80 percent of cities say that since the passage of the federal Telecommunications Act of 1996, cable rates in their community have increased.

49 percent have ordinances regulating the sites of cellular and wireless telecommunications towers.

More than 1,300 cities have the right to issue licenses or franchises to telephone companies; 1,651 have the right to issue licenses or franchises to utility companies, and more than 2,500 have the right to issue licenses or franchises to cable television companies.